Wednesday, August 24, 2011

This 1968 Firebird was parked in Safeway parking lot in Redwood Shores, CA, and appears to be a daily driver. It is a typically equipped car with a 350 engine with automatic transmission, bucket seats with floor shift and standard interior. The really rare feature of this car is the fact that it has hub caps and white walls. The last hundred or so 1967-1969 Firebirds I have seen all had aftermarket wheels or the ever popular and attractive Pontiac Rally II wheels. Although a common sight when these cars where new, white walls on a 1968 Firebird is a rare sight today. They give the car the pure, innocent look of a one owner, unmolested car. I can’t say if I purchased this car that I would not change the wheels and tires to redlines and rallys, but it is nice to see one of these cars as it would have looked on the street forty years ago.

A gathering of expensive vintage wooden boats brings the old money crowd out that owns them. Lake Tahoe has always been a playground for the rich, with the likes of George Whittell Jr and Bill Harrah owning estates and properties on the lake. Older Rolls Royce and Bentley automobiles were casually parked on the streets in and around the Carnelian Bay area near the Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance this year. Most were just in clean driver condition, being used as transportation. The only exception was a striking early fifties Bentley Continental, too nice to be a driver. An older Rolls or Bentley is the perfect car to drive to such a splendidly elegant event. Just like wooden boats, Rolls and Bentley cars are often retained by their original owners for many years.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Berkeley California is known for is eclectic, diverse, and interesting population. This is also true for the unusual collection of older cars used for everyday transportation in Berkeley. This Morris Minor is a great example of a vintage car still used as a everyday car. It was captured on the street in its natural habitat, in traffic on Telegraph Ave. Morris Minors were built in England, and were produced between 1948 and 1971. This specimen is a Morris Minor 1000, introduced in 1956. The exact year of this car is unknown. But what is known, is that this car is always going happy in Berkeley, sharing the streets with many other old, small, European cars.